Sherry

August 4, 2014
A wine “so misunderstood that one wonders if it was the victim of an elaborate smear campaign involving all of the grandmas, everywhere,” sherry holds a special place in the history of wine, spirits, and cocktails, argues Talia Baiocchi, who sets the story straight in this engaging and wildly informative study of the Spanish wine. An outspoken advocate for sherry in all its forms, Baiocchi begins by taking readers on a trip to Jerez, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, and El Puerto de Santa Maria, the three Spanish cities that comprise the “Sherry Triangle” that produces much of the world’s sherry. She tours all of the major (and some of the minor) producers, supplying tasting notes as well as recommendations for their best offerings. Interestingly enough, sherry cobbler, a combination of sherry, sugar and citrus was one of the most popular cocktails during the cocktail boom of the late 1800s through Prohibition, when tastes shifted to the hard stuff. Those who want to sample the spirit for themselves will appreciate both Baiocchi’s shortlist of recommendations as well as recipes for the classic sherry cobbler and other cocktails, enabling them to experience their own sherry-induced epiphanies at home.

October 1, 2014
Good, short books about positive trends with staying power can augment our longer reads with rewarding breaks. Here is an engaging nugget on the burgeoning revival of sherry, the storied wine of Spain's far south. Sherry reigned supreme at times, yet also saw demand whiplashed by trade wars, competition with other wines, monopolies, and public whim. Sherry took a near-death blow in America when it was equated with the unctuous cream concoctions of the 1960s and '70s. Sad, since sherry not only includes many of the driest wines in the world but also offers a spectrum of food-complementing flavor and character. Unlike most other wines, sherry lends itself to the comeback of cocktails, and Baiocchi supplies a long list of sherry mixes. She also gives several Andalusian food recipes, and synopses on some of the Sherry Triangle's noteworthy bodegas, or producers. Sherry's much-deserved recovery will only speed up with this book's efficient style and engaging tone. And Baiocchi's effort passes the gastronomic-book litmus test: it triggers an urge to run out for tapas and sherry.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)